Top Ten - February 22
1. A Conversation About Faith and Sexuality – Grace/Truth is a ten-week group learning experience that introduces Christians to LGBT+ people, the language to use and avoid, a theologically faithful view of marriage and sexuality, and practical guidance on how to embody the love of Christ toward sexual and gender minorities. Grace/Truth meets in Room #1 at 6:30 PM on Monday nights as is led by Ralph and Debbie Vick. If you have any questions, please contact angellique@northgatefmc.com.
2. Bottle Collection for Costa Rica Mission Team – This summer, Northgate's youth ministry is embarking on a short-term mission trip to Costa Rica from July 20-28th. As a fundraiser for this exciting venture, the group has organized a bottle and can drive. It's an easy and practical way to support the team. Simply bring your empty bottles and cans to North anytime the church is open, Monday-Thursday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, or during any of our weekend services. You can conveniently place them in the dropbox located in the airlock.
Some individuals have inquired with Pastor DL about additional ways to financially support the team. This can be accomplished by either writing a check to Northgate with "Costa Rica" written in the memo line and placing it in the offering, or you can give online using the keyword "Costa Rica." The Costa Rica team sincerely thanks you in advance for your support and requests your prayers as they continue to prepare for their trip. If you would like more information on how you can pray or details about the trip in general, please reach out to Pastor DL via email at dl@northgatefmc.com.
3. New Caregivers Group – Warren and Nancy Savage will be leading a new session of the Caregivers group beginning on Tuesday, March 5 at North. The group will meet at 6:30pm. If you would like more information about it, please contact Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
4. Northgate Intergenerational Single Women’s Gathering – On March 3, single women ages 20+, are invited to attend a meeting to plan for this fun new adventure. During the meeting, we will discuss activities we can do together to share our faith, to fellowship and to have fun! We will meet at 12:15 in Room #2/3. There will be a light lunch provided! Come and join in! If you have any questions, please contact Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
5. Collection for the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter – During the season of Lent we are collecting items for the Domestic Violence Shelter at the YWCA. Each week of Lent we are collecting a different item, and the list can be found below. Items can be dropped off at the table in the lobby at either North or Arbor House. If you have any questions, contact Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com.
6. Childcare Coordinator For MomCo. (Formerly MOPS) – Northgate’s MOMCo. Group (formerly MOPS) is looking for a key volunteer to help with their kids programming! This position would coordinate with the Leadership Team to provide childcare and assemble a team of volunteers during their meetings which run September - May. This volunteer would utilize the MomCo. Curriculum to provide biblical lessons and activities for the kids. They will also coordinate to make sure all volunteers are We Care trained. If you feel called to help in such a way, please contact angelique@northgatefmc.com
7. Northgate 101 Class Coming Up – Are you interested in learning more about Northgate? Who are we? What we believe? How to get more involved? Sign up for our Northgate 101 class and get answers to these questions and many more! This free class is required for anyone who wants to become a member, but taking the class does not obligate you to join as a member. Our next session of Northgate 101 will be on Sunday, March 17 from 9:30-12:00 in Meeting Room 6. Please contact the office if you have questions, or to let us know that you plan to attend at (office@northgatefmc.com or 343-4011).
8. Monday Night Bible Study – Pastor Vern’s Bible study meets on Monday nights at North. We begin at 6:30 with a time of prayer and then we work through a book of the Bible chapter by chapter. We’ll be going through the gospel of Mark this spring. All are welcome, and if you can’t make it to the church, we do stream the study via Zoom. Just let Pastor Vern know if you need the link… vern@northgatefmc.com.
9. Gather to Pray – Here are some opportunities to pray together at Northgate…
10. “A Good Enough Lent” – Believe it or not, Lent is here. Lent is the period of time in the church calendar that we use to prepare to recognize the death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday and celebrate His resurrection on Easter. We’d like to invite our church to participate in a Lenten devotional by Kate Bowler called “A Good Enough Lent.” It’s a free resource that you can download at https://katebowler.com/lent/. This devotional is based on Kate’s book, Good Enough: 40 Devotionals For a Life of Imperfection. You can use the free resource with/without the book. If you’d like a copy of the book but resources might be an issue, we’ll have copies of it available here at the church.
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You Can Count on This – Hebrews 6:10 – God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (Read Hebrews 6:1-20)
I am so tempted to speak to verses 4-6 of Hebrews chapter 6. These verses lead us straight into the controversial and debated question that Christians have been asking for centuries… can a Christian lose their salvation. Many Christian thinkers would say, “Absolutely not. Once a person repents of their sin and puts their faith in Christ, they are made a new creation and are sealed by the Holy Spirit and cannot lose their salvation.” People on this side of the debate might point to John 10:27-28, where Jesus promises that His sheep, His people, cannot be snatched out of His hand. They are safe, and their salvation is assured. These are important points and along with other scriptures they make a strong case for the teaching that a Christian cannot lose their salvation.
On the other hand, people on the other side of the debate would point to verses like these in Hebrews, and others, (Luke 8:13, 2 Peter 2:20-21, 1 Timothy 1:19-20, e.g.) and would make the argument that someone who once placed their faith in Christ can indeed lose their salvation. People in the first group might counter that these individuals never really had real faith in Christ to begin with. And the debate continues!
I’ve never liked the phrase “lose your salvation.” That seems to me to make this a very passive experience, like “losing your car keys” – I had them and then I couldn’t find them. Instead, I prefer wording like “forfeit your salvation” or “reject your salvation”, or maybe better, “reject the relationship with Christ you once had.” It is my belief that a person can do this. But I know in saying that I am inviting the debate! In that light I would offer this word… this debate is an “in house” debate, a debate that can be had by sincere and saved Christians without needing to cause separation or division. Wherever you land on this, if your faith is in Jesus and you seek to honor Him with your life, we are of one mind and heart.
Well, I said I wasn’t going to speak to these verses and now I have. The verse I wanted to say something about is verse 10. Which actually may help us with the previous discussion.
First, God is just. He is fair and He is good, and He is all-knowing. We can trust that God will deal justly with all of us. When we get to heaven, we will understand better just how fair and just God is and has been. Secondly, God does not forget. He knows how we have lived or not lived for Him. He has a complete record of the way we have served Him and He will give to each person what they deserve for their faithfulness to Him. Third, God also will remember how we served Him. Did we do so out of love? Were our actions motivated by love, or selfishness or pride? Finally, it’s not just the love we show directly to God that matters to Him. God is loved as well by the love we show to others as we help them and serve them. We are asked by God to be “diligent to the very end” in expressing and sharing our love for others. Let us do so.
When you’re not sure what you can count on in the world around you, know this: You can count on God keeping his word. So read what God has to say in scripture! And count on it.
2. Bottle Collection for Costa Rica Mission Team – This summer, Northgate's youth ministry is embarking on a short-term mission trip to Costa Rica from July 20-28th. As a fundraiser for this exciting venture, the group has organized a bottle and can drive. It's an easy and practical way to support the team. Simply bring your empty bottles and cans to North anytime the church is open, Monday-Thursday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, or during any of our weekend services. You can conveniently place them in the dropbox located in the airlock.
Some individuals have inquired with Pastor DL about additional ways to financially support the team. This can be accomplished by either writing a check to Northgate with "Costa Rica" written in the memo line and placing it in the offering, or you can give online using the keyword "Costa Rica." The Costa Rica team sincerely thanks you in advance for your support and requests your prayers as they continue to prepare for their trip. If you would like more information on how you can pray or details about the trip in general, please reach out to Pastor DL via email at dl@northgatefmc.com.
3. New Caregivers Group – Warren and Nancy Savage will be leading a new session of the Caregivers group beginning on Tuesday, March 5 at North. The group will meet at 6:30pm. If you would like more information about it, please contact Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
4. Northgate Intergenerational Single Women’s Gathering – On March 3, single women ages 20+, are invited to attend a meeting to plan for this fun new adventure. During the meeting, we will discuss activities we can do together to share our faith, to fellowship and to have fun! We will meet at 12:15 in Room #2/3. There will be a light lunch provided! Come and join in! If you have any questions, please contact Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
5. Collection for the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter – During the season of Lent we are collecting items for the Domestic Violence Shelter at the YWCA. Each week of Lent we are collecting a different item, and the list can be found below. Items can be dropped off at the table in the lobby at either North or Arbor House. If you have any questions, contact Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com.
- 2/24&25: Twin size blankets
- 3/2&3: Pillow cases
- 3/9&10: Bath towels
- 3/16&17: Deodorant (women or gender neutral scents)
- 3/23&24: Toothbrushes (Kids size only)
6. Childcare Coordinator For MomCo. (Formerly MOPS) – Northgate’s MOMCo. Group (formerly MOPS) is looking for a key volunteer to help with their kids programming! This position would coordinate with the Leadership Team to provide childcare and assemble a team of volunteers during their meetings which run September - May. This volunteer would utilize the MomCo. Curriculum to provide biblical lessons and activities for the kids. They will also coordinate to make sure all volunteers are We Care trained. If you feel called to help in such a way, please contact angelique@northgatefmc.com
7. Northgate 101 Class Coming Up – Are you interested in learning more about Northgate? Who are we? What we believe? How to get more involved? Sign up for our Northgate 101 class and get answers to these questions and many more! This free class is required for anyone who wants to become a member, but taking the class does not obligate you to join as a member. Our next session of Northgate 101 will be on Sunday, March 17 from 9:30-12:00 in Meeting Room 6. Please contact the office if you have questions, or to let us know that you plan to attend at (office@northgatefmc.com or 343-4011).
8. Monday Night Bible Study – Pastor Vern’s Bible study meets on Monday nights at North. We begin at 6:30 with a time of prayer and then we work through a book of the Bible chapter by chapter. We’ll be going through the gospel of Mark this spring. All are welcome, and if you can’t make it to the church, we do stream the study via Zoom. Just let Pastor Vern know if you need the link… vern@northgatefmc.com.
9. Gather to Pray – Here are some opportunities to pray together at Northgate…
- Prayer meeting Wednesday at 1pm at North in Room #1
- Centered: the first Wednesday of the month at North at 6pm (Sanctuary)
- Sunday mornings at 9:30 at North in Room #4
- Prayer rail: Before and after services on Saturday/Sunday and also while we are singing/praying during services
- Anytime the church is open people are welcome to come and pray in any available room or in the sanctuary. The church is generally open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 to 4pm, Saturday from 4 to 7:30pm and Sunday from 8am to 1pm. Arrangements can be made to be open at other times too, if needed.
10. “A Good Enough Lent” – Believe it or not, Lent is here. Lent is the period of time in the church calendar that we use to prepare to recognize the death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday and celebrate His resurrection on Easter. We’d like to invite our church to participate in a Lenten devotional by Kate Bowler called “A Good Enough Lent.” It’s a free resource that you can download at https://katebowler.com/lent/. This devotional is based on Kate’s book, Good Enough: 40 Devotionals For a Life of Imperfection. You can use the free resource with/without the book. If you’d like a copy of the book but resources might be an issue, we’ll have copies of it available here at the church.
***********************************************************************************************
You Can Count on This – Hebrews 6:10 – God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (Read Hebrews 6:1-20)
I am so tempted to speak to verses 4-6 of Hebrews chapter 6. These verses lead us straight into the controversial and debated question that Christians have been asking for centuries… can a Christian lose their salvation. Many Christian thinkers would say, “Absolutely not. Once a person repents of their sin and puts their faith in Christ, they are made a new creation and are sealed by the Holy Spirit and cannot lose their salvation.” People on this side of the debate might point to John 10:27-28, where Jesus promises that His sheep, His people, cannot be snatched out of His hand. They are safe, and their salvation is assured. These are important points and along with other scriptures they make a strong case for the teaching that a Christian cannot lose their salvation.
On the other hand, people on the other side of the debate would point to verses like these in Hebrews, and others, (Luke 8:13, 2 Peter 2:20-21, 1 Timothy 1:19-20, e.g.) and would make the argument that someone who once placed their faith in Christ can indeed lose their salvation. People in the first group might counter that these individuals never really had real faith in Christ to begin with. And the debate continues!
I’ve never liked the phrase “lose your salvation.” That seems to me to make this a very passive experience, like “losing your car keys” – I had them and then I couldn’t find them. Instead, I prefer wording like “forfeit your salvation” or “reject your salvation”, or maybe better, “reject the relationship with Christ you once had.” It is my belief that a person can do this. But I know in saying that I am inviting the debate! In that light I would offer this word… this debate is an “in house” debate, a debate that can be had by sincere and saved Christians without needing to cause separation or division. Wherever you land on this, if your faith is in Jesus and you seek to honor Him with your life, we are of one mind and heart.
Well, I said I wasn’t going to speak to these verses and now I have. The verse I wanted to say something about is verse 10. Which actually may help us with the previous discussion.
First, God is just. He is fair and He is good, and He is all-knowing. We can trust that God will deal justly with all of us. When we get to heaven, we will understand better just how fair and just God is and has been. Secondly, God does not forget. He knows how we have lived or not lived for Him. He has a complete record of the way we have served Him and He will give to each person what they deserve for their faithfulness to Him. Third, God also will remember how we served Him. Did we do so out of love? Were our actions motivated by love, or selfishness or pride? Finally, it’s not just the love we show directly to God that matters to Him. God is loved as well by the love we show to others as we help them and serve them. We are asked by God to be “diligent to the very end” in expressing and sharing our love for others. Let us do so.
When you’re not sure what you can count on in the world around you, know this: You can count on God keeping his word. So read what God has to say in scripture! And count on it.
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